Collapsible coat-hanger.



J. W. HAMILTON.

GOLLAPSIBLE COAT HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18, 1012.

1,040,942. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

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JAMES W. HAMILTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE COAT-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial No. 684,436.

. cation.

This invention relates to improvements in a garment hanging device of asomewhat similar type to that disclosed in my application Serial No.682,161, for improvements in a collapsible suit hanger, filed March 7,1912, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction,novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as willbe hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of the present invention, are somewhat similar, in fact, arepractically the same as those set forth in my aforesaid application,to-wit; to provide a collapsible hanger for mens coats, which shall besimple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and effectivein operation, and so made, that its parts may be folded when not in useinto compact form, yet can be readily extended to their operativepositions and automatically locked in such positions so as to preventthem accidentally collapsing.

Cther objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in thesubjoined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which the inventionpertains, to make and use the same I will now proceed to describe itreferring to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1, is a sideview partly in elevation and partly in section of a coat hangerembodying the invention. Fig. 2, is a side view showing the parts inabout the positions they will occupy when folded together. Fig. 3, is aslightly enlarged plan View of the connected portions of the mainmembers of the hanger, showing the hook which is adapted to support thesame on a rod or other suitable support in cross section, andillustrating it in the position it will occupy when the main members ofthe hanger are locked in their extended positions. Fig. 4, is a crosssectional view taken on line 45%, of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5, is alongitudinal sectional view through a portion of one of the main membersand of one of the extension members showing the means for automaticallylocking them in their extended positions Like numerals of referencerefer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of thedrawing.

The reference numeral 10, designates one of the main supporting memberswhile the numeral 11, designates the other of said main members. Each ofthese members is preferably made of sheet metal stamped 01' formed intochannel or shell-like shape, with their cavities presented downwardlywhen the device is in use and of any desired configuration in outlines,but by preference substantially as shown in Figs. 1, and 2, of thedrawing. The member 10, is slightly reduced at its upper portion, orthat portion thereof adjacent to the upper portion of the member 11, soas to fit in the cavity of the last named nacmber, and said member 10,is provided with a curved extension 12, which projects into the cavityof the upper portion of the member 11, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1,3, and 1, of the drawing, so that when the members 10, and 11, arefolded together as shown in Fig. 2, their upper portions will be closedby said extension. Each of the members 10, and 11, is provided on eachof its sides .at the lower portion of its upper end with an aperturedear or lug 13, which overlie one another and are for the reception of apivot 1 1, used for hinging or pivotally connecting said memberstogether, and for supporting the hook 15, by means of which the devicecan be supported on a rod, nail, or other support. The stem 16, of thehook, is provided or formed into a coiled spring 17, which surrounds thepivot 14, and normally presses said stem to one side so as to cause itto engage recesses provided in the upper portion of the main supportingmembers. The member 10, is provided in its upper surface with alongitudinally extended slot 18, the upper end of which terminates in alaterally extended recess 19, which when the members are extended asshown in Figs. 1, and 3, of the 7 drawing, will register with alaterally exsides an apertured portion 22, for the reception of a pivot23, which pivots are transversely extended through said apertures andeach has mounted thereon the upper end of an extension member 24, eachof which is by preference formed of sheet metal stamped or formed intochannel or shell-like shape, and of a size to enable them to fit withinthe cavities of the members 10, and 11, when the parts are foldedtogether as shown in Fig. 2, of the drawing. Each of the extensionmembers 24, has on its upper surface at its end adjacent to the mainsupporting member to which it is pivotally secured a depressed extension25, which. is provided with an opening 26, to receive a projection 27 onone end of a spring 28, which is bowed and has its other end connectedto the pivot 23, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5, of the drawing. Each ofthe springs 28, is provided near its end having the projection 27,thereon, with a press button 29, which extends through an opening 30, inthe upper surface of each of the main supporting members 10, and 11,near its lower end.

By this arrangement, it is apparent that by pressing downwardly 011 thebuttons 29, the projections 27, of the springs 28, will be disengagedfrom the openings 26, in the extensions or lips 25, of the extensionmembers T ing.

24, thus permitting the latter to be folded or turned into the cavitiesof the main support ing members 10, and 11, when by pressing the hook15, in the proper direction, the stem 16, thereof, may be released fromthe recesses 19, and 20, of the main supporting members, thus permittingthem to be folded together so that the parts may assume about thepositions shown in Fig. 2, of the draw- It is obvious that when theparts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1, and 3, they will besecurely locked in their extended positions which locking will beautomatic in its operation.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the class described,the combination with a pair of main supporting members pivotallyconnected together at one of their ends and each having at said ends alongitudinally extended slot each provided with a lateral recess, eachof said members having near its other end an opening, of a hook looselymounted on the pivot which unites the upper ends of said members andhaving its shank extended through said slots and adapted to engage saidrecesses, an extension member pivotally secured at one of its ends toeach of the main supporting members and provided on the upper portion ofsaid end with an apertured extension or lip, a bow spring secured at oneof its ends on each of the pivots which unite the extension members andmain supporting members and having on its free portion a projection toengage the opening in said lip and a button to extend through theopening near the lower end of each of the main supporting members.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofmain supporting members pivotally connected together at one of theirends and each having near its other end an opening, of means on theupper portion of said members to suspend the same, an extension memberpivotally secured at one of its ends to each of the main supportingmembers and provided on the upper portion of said end with an aperturedexten sion or lip, a bow spring secured at one of its ends on each ofthe pivots which unite the extension members and main supporting membersand having on its free portion a projection to engage the opening insaid lip and a button to extend through the opening near the lower endof each of the main supporting members.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination wit-h achanneled member having an opening near one of its ends, of anotherchanneled member pivotally mounted between the sides of the first namedchanneled member at the end thereof provided with said opening andhaving on its portion adjacent to said opening an apertured extension orlip, and a spring connected at one of its ends to the pivot which unitessaid members and having on its free portion a projection to engage theopening in said lip and a button to extend through the opening of thefirst named member.

at. A coat hanger consisting of a pair of channeled members pivotallyunited together at one of their ends and each member having between itsends a oint whereby the outer extremity of said member may be foldedinto the cavity of the member to which it is joined and whereby thepivotally connected parts of said members may be folded together, andmeans at the pivoted ends of said members for suspending the same.

JAMES W. HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, E. NnWs'rRoM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

